THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, May 14, 1995 TAG: 9505140190
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BRIAN L. BIGELOW, SPECIAL TO THE VP/LS
LENGTH: Short : 50 lines
Major league baseball is back on track. The labor dispute has been shelved, and activities connected with the national past-time have a good chance of returning to normal levels. Much has been made, however, of the apparent reluctance of fans to immediately re-embrace the game following its extended offseason.
Baseball-card collecting is in the same position, market-wise, as the game itself. Some collectors have become jaded or belligerent toward baseball's owners or players, while others have been put off by the profusion of new and expensive products issued prior to the work stoppage. In 1994, and into early 1995, a slump in the card market coincided rudely with baseball's other troubles. Together these factors yielded the present climate of skepticism and confusion among the hobby's dealers and collectors.
Card collecting has two very positive influences at the moment that should overcome hesitation or uncertainty on the part of temporarily discouraged hobbyists. The first is baseball's return to full action. It's difficult for any fan to remain apathetic when Raul Mondesi hits .526 for the week, and Lee Smith has already recorded three saves.
The second plus factor for collectors is that card-production levels have diminished to the point that cards can, once again, be legitimately termed ``collectable''. Fewer cards are planned for the '95 baseball season than for any year within recent memory. Even when one considers that no one's mother throws away card collections anymore, there still won't be enough product on the scene to satisfy future demand.
Since card-collecting is heavily-oriented toward a ``What will this be worth?'' mentality, an initial scarcity of supply is an eventual boon for the hobby. In a look at the card market's ``big picture'' of supply and demand, 1995 could turn out to be one of the best years to be assembling a current baseball card collection. MEMO: Brian L. Bigelow is store manager and appraiser for Candl Coins &
Stamps, located on Independence Blvd. and North (Lynnhaven) Mall Drive
in Virginia Beach. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
With players like the Dodgers' Raul Mondesi producing great
performances at the start of the season, the baseball-card market is
likely to rebound.
by CNB